An Honest Life
by enchantment1972
Summary: What if Lois had been unable to handle all of the secrets that Clark kept from her and it led to the end of their relationship? And what if she then went to see the man who once offered her the chance at an honest life? Completely AU one-shot.


**Author's Note:** Now I have always been and thought I would always be a hardcore Lois and Clark fan but the Smallville episode, Upgrade? Sigh. I have to admit, the scene with John asking Lois to run away with him had me yelling at her to do it, darn it. Oh well, I suppose it's a true testament to their acting skill that they could make me turn traitor like that. Anyway, it got me to thinking and I don't yet have the voice and personalities down yet to do the world of Smallville justice with a full story, but I just couldn't let this idea go. Besides, I'm hoping that maybe there's a Smallville fan out there who can run with this idea, because this is a story that I would really love to read. So anyone else ready to ship Metallois? LOL! ;)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in relation to the television series Smallville, the character of Superman or DC Comics.

John Corben hurriedly rises from the fireplace with a huge grin as he finally hears the knock that he's been waiting for ever since he received a phone call that interrupted his sleep. The caller informed him, not asked mind you, that he would soon be receiving a guest and that the place better have heat because if she wanted to rough it, she could have visited her father in Afghanistan. He opens the door to an icy blast of wind and a flurry of snow rushing into the room. Giving her an approving once-over, he greets, "If isn't Lois Lane, the woman who stole my heart and gave me one all at the same time."

She drags her suitcase on wheels over the threshold and flashes him a smile while taking note of the soft glow emanating from underneath his shirt. "Hey John, good to see your night light's still working."

"Well, I would have loved to sleep with more than this night light but as you refused my offer…", he trails off as he waggles his eyebrows, quickly earning him a laughing smile. "Seriously though, Lane, what are you doing here?"

Her smile instantly fades and changes into a grimace. "Clark and I broke up a few months ago." She acknowledges his surprise with a nod and a tight smile. "Remember that honest life that you that you wanted so badly? Apparently, Clark doesn't share your views, at least not exactly. It seems that he can trust me with his biggest secret but not with anything else."

Lois takes a deep breath and steels herself to hold back a fresh wave of tears, she'd already shed enough of them on the way there. Thinking back on the moment she discovered that Tess not only knew Clark's secret but had also been assisting him with his Blur activities while she had been benched on the sidelines? She could understand Chloe and Lana, _almost_ , what with being his best friend and the love of his life; and of course with Ollie, A.J. and Dinah being of the super-hero set, she could see him needing to confide in allies. But Tess Mercer, _their employer?_ And then there was traveling to the Phantom Zone without even a word except once again to Tess. Every time she turned around there was always another secret, something that everyone could share in but her. In her heart, she knew that he wanted to protect her from all the danger, but who was going to protect her from him?

"What made you come here…to me?" he questions in a straightforward manner, trying his best to keep the hope out of his voice.

She releases a heavy sigh as she drops down onto the couch and leans her head back against the cushions. "I just needed someone to talk to and who understood about having to deal with secrets, somebody who wouldn't judge me or pity me." Lois finally turns her head to look at him and he inwardly winces when he sees the pain reflected on her face. "Someone like you."

"So, this isn't a rebound thing?" He needs to know. His physical heart may be mechanical but his metaphysical one could break just as easily as it did before.

She practically jumps off the couch before rushing over to him and taking both of his hands in hers and squeezing them tight. "God, no! John, please believe me, I would never, ever play with your emotions like that." Her gaze bores into him, willing him to believe her. "Not after everything that we've been through together."

"Just friends then?" he asks with the slightest trace of disappointment.

"That's all I can handle right now, John." Biting her lip, she glances at him and quietly adds, "Maybe one day we could have more. You weren't the only one who felt a connection between us, but right now…right now, I just need a friend." Lois' gaze is a full of nervous anticipation. "Do you think that you could handle that?"

"Of course I can, Lois, I can be whatever you need me to be," he assures her wholeheartedly as he pulls her into a hug. And it was true, he could be whatever she needed him to be, he had been before. Rival reporter, hero, damsel in distress and friend. Add to that the potential of lover some day off in the hopefully not too distant future? Sure, why not? He'd lived with a lot less for far too long now. "You know my sister used to tell me that I had the best shoulder to cry on." She draws back with a sniffle and a wobbly smile. "And since you're not my sister, you have a hell of a lot better body parts to choose from to take your comfort."

Lois' laughter echoes throughout the room as she swats him on the chest and pushes him away. "The only comfort that I need is Southern Comfort and I've got a bottle of that ready to open in my suitcase."

"Only one?" he quizzes slyly as he places his right arm around her shoulder and leads her back to the couch.

"You know me so well," she confides with a touch of amazement before settling down on the couch alongside him. "I hope you're flattered, Mister. I'll have you know that I had a whole world of friends and relatives that I could've dropped in on but I chose you."

"That means a lot," he replies with a grin then stiffens slightly when she unexpectedly lays her head on his shoulder and snuggles into his side.

"It really does," she admits softly, as much to herself as to him. Reaching out her right hand, she interlaces their fingers and releases a sigh of contentment, something that she hasn't felt for a very long time. Lois stretches her legs out to rest them on the coffee table in front of her and adjusts her head against John's shoulder as she stares off into the fire. She can't remember the last time that she felt this much at peace. Sneaking a peek at John, she watches him stare down at their entwined hands as he absentmindedly rubs his thumb over hers. She's not ready for a new relationship this soon and there are times when she feels that she will never be over Clark, but this? It feels good…it feels _right_. If anything, the one thing that she can take away from her time with Clark is that establishing a friendship before falling in love is the best way to go, even if you don't end up with the happily ever after you were hoping for. John is her friend and may or may not one day be her lover, but right now, she not only feels that this is where she needs to be but it's where she wants to be and that's more than enough for her…at least for now.

Out of the corner of his eye, John watches the firelight dance across Lois' skin as she's lost in thought. He can't believe she's really here. Months of missing her and dreaming about her seemed to vanish in an instant the second that he saw her. _She chose him._ It was such a simple statement but yet it gave him so much hope. He wasn't pitching her a sob story when he had told her that he would never be able to have an honest relationship with anyone while having to hide who he was; his love life had been non-existent since he came here. His mouth quirks upwards into a small smile. Not that he has been all that interested in dating anyone. He had met plenty of women during his time here and more than a few were interested in him, but what was the point when none of them had been Lois Lane? And now she was here with him, still hurting over Kent but able to conceive of giving them a chance down the line. That was fine with him. All he needed was this one chance and unlike Kent, he wasn't going to blow it. He had opened his whole heart to her, his very soul, when he spoke of the honest life that he wanted with her, when he had asked her to run away with him. But now both of them had stopped running and he had all the time in the world to just be with her and give her what she needed, whether as a friend or a lover. He wasn't fooling himself, he knew it would take time for her to get over Kent before she even considered opening herself up like that again to another man, but he could be patient. He had waited this long, dreamt for this long of an honest life with her and he was determined not to lose that. Because if there was anything in this world that he was absolutely sure of, without a doubt, is that a dame like Lois Lane only came along once in a lifetime and he knew that he could make an honest woman of her if she only gave him the chance.

 **THE END**


End file.
